Be Excellent To Each Other

I’m selling my good wife’s car on eBay and it’s due to finish tonight. It’s a bit of a rust bucket so it’s not going for much, just a few hundred quid.

Has anyone sold a car on eBay before?

I’m a bit wary of what to do when the person (or people) come to pick it up? I’ve said that I’d rather take cash but what if they want to pay by Paypal?

Also, it's not taxed at the minute and has been declared SWORN. What happens with this? I'm presuming it's the new owners responsibility once the cars sold.

Should I ask for I.D. or anything like that?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

If they want to pay by PayPal, insist they do it there and then on a computer and then login to your own PayPal account to verify it's there.

If it's SORN, they won't be able to drive it away legally. They can tax it if they come early enough that they take the MOT certificate, insurance certificate (in their name) and the V5C/2 portion of the registration document to a Post Office that issues tax discs, and then they can drive it.

Obviously if the MOT is invalid or they don't have insurance, they won't be able to.

Once they've completed the New Keeper Details on the left-hand side of the V5C and signed the declaration at the bottom, AND put their details into the V5C/2 (section 6 on the right I think) I think you have a defence if they drive it illegally as it's not your responsibility.

That said, make sure you write out a receipt (ideally two, one for both of you) stating the date, time, registration number, car make and model and amount paid. Put your address on it, make sure it says "Payment received" on it somewhere. You can put "sold as seen" if you like but it holds no legal weight, unless you've misdescribed the car (which I'm guessing you've not.)

"Sold as seen. No warranty given nor implied"

Some top advice there that I wouldn't have thought of... thanks.

What about asking for ID? Do you think that's wise?

I wouldn't ask. I'd take cash for it, write the receipt and then sign the thing over using the V5 and then it is his problem from that point onwards.

That was kind of what I was thinking. Sounds like a plan!

Right, when do you want to pick it up?

What is it?

I think I mentioned it up there... "A bit of a rust bucket"

It's a V reg Ford KA. It's seen better days but its MOT'd till November so I'm sure someone will make use of it.

As soon as the deal is done and documents have been signed, it is no longer your problem as to what happens to the car or the person driving it.
I wouldn't accept paypal, it's cash or nothing when it comes to selling cars in my opinion.

You need to state that in the auction description though.

Doesn't that break eBay rules?

I've sold and bought several cars on ebay, always cash. I think it must be allowed to be cash only on the ebay "motors" bit. Anyway, tacit agreement from most users I think.

It does I think, however I've never had a problem doing that. I've only sold half a dozen cars on ebay though, and none in the past year, so it might be different now or I was just lucky...

The car has just sold for £400... I wasn't expecting that much to be honest. Let's hope it starts when they come to collect it!

I advertised my car on Pistonheads and someone has just sent me an email offering me six grand in cash for it, telling me they can pick it up at the weekend. They haven't been to look at it or anything (but then it's only a 4 1/2 year old car), so this was a bit unexpected. Should I be at all suspicious. Six grand is £600 less than I advertised it for, but is actually the exact amount I was hoping to get, so it's tempting to accept.

I've got to say though, I feel really quite upset that the car could end up being taken off me so soon!

I'm starting to wonder if I priced it too low now. Seems odd someone is willing to make me an offer on a car they've not even seen.

Say " £6,300 and it is yours if you're here by 11am" then settle for £6100, they think they've done a deal by arguing you down, you're 100 up on what you wanted and it is party time.

I don't think so. If he's a dealer, they do it all the time. I bought the Range Rover that eventually turned into a Tomcat without seeing it.

If you've told any fibs in the advert he might walk off, but then that's fair enough.

Also, totally do what Mali says.

I've told no fibs at all, but I've obviously not mentioned the tyre that needs replacing* or where some fucker has keyed it. Other than the tyre, it's all cosmetic issues with my car. I will indeed do as Mali says though, sounds a good plan. Besides which, I think if it were the other way around and someone just accepted the first offer I made on something like this, I'd be wondering why the seller was so keen on getting rid.

*I was planning on getting this replaced this week as I'm pretty certain it's not legal. Doing so will cost me about £120 though. Worth doing?

In my experience of selling 2 cars on eBay, the offer is always less than the final amount it goes for.

If you're happy with 6 grand, go for it. The guy that bought my wifes car was a dealer and he practically came, gave me the money and went without looking at the car.

Didn't even mention the fact we'd cleaned it!

Well, I've emailed back saying that it was a bit less than I was hoping for and would they be willing to pay £6,350 for it? Hopefully I'll hear back. Also received a text from someone wanting to trade it for some massive 4x4 thing, ironic considering mine and Grim...'s conversations at the weekend. Although this thing looks more for driving around as uneconomically as possible on the roads rather than off-roading in. He referrered to it as an 'escalated', which I'm assuming is some kind of auto-correct cock up. Either way, not interested.

My younger brother has a fairly cool black Toyota Celica which he never drives, due to working in London and all that, and he's kindly offered to lend it to me whilst I'm between cars. Needs a new battery though, so I'm thinking I should probably offer to buy him one all things considered.

That'll be a Cadillac Escalade.



Avoid.

Yeah, that's it. Definitely not interested.

That was from me, you daft twat!

Thanks Mali!

I spent a lot of time ensuring the photo was dark and blurry. And even more trying to think what an owner might have written..

I've just noticed the coin in the background, too...

Hahahahahha!

Obviously an MMS message always looks shit, but a little part of my brain thought it was a model car rather than a real one. I just thought that no one would be dick enough to hoax me like that. Crucially, I did not consider you Mali. You sir, are that dick.

Well played though!

I'll have the giant penny if it's going.

Good job I wasn't in your contact list, then, weren't it, eh?

Only just seen this from Beex Weex.

Superb prankage, MaliA.

Beex Weex Redux: Justified